About being a minimalist , saving money and travel the world for years to come...
Wiki: "In economics, profit is the difference between revenue that an economic entity has received from its outputs and total costs of its inputs, also known as surplus value. It is equal to total revenue minus total cost, including both explicit and implicit costs."
More than half of Americans earning more than $100,000 a year say they’re living paycheck to paycheck, according to a report from PYMNTS and LendingClub. This may be a result of a sneaky behavioral phenomenon called lifestyle creep, which is when a person’s spending habits expand as their income rises. The rise in the cost of living complicates matters, as incomes have not kept up with inflation.
So what’s going on?
“I think people hold these benchmarks in their mind [of], if I reach this position or I get this promotion or I make it to this age, then I can live this life, or then I deserve to have these things,” said Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist who works with clients struggling with financial stress. “Then they kind of go a little crazy or go a little wild on it, and then it becomes like a trade-off, like they only can enjoy their present happiness and they’re not able to save or plan for the future.”
But spending more may not be as simple as people wanting to indulge. Many Americans simply don’t have enough money to make ends meet because their incomes have not been keeping up with the rise in costs of living.
“The idea that people save and they just hit a point where they feel like they deserve [to spend more]; I fully disagree with that,” said Saprina Allen, a budgeting coach who offers insights and guidance to her more than 100,000 TikTok followers on how to be more conscious about money. “When most people don’t have $1,000 in the bank, like most people cannot handle a tire blowout or they’re going to put it on credit.”
Allen breaks down lifestyle inflation into two buckets.
One is that “general idea of what lifestyle inflation is, which is the buying fancy cars, the buying nice things along those lines,” she said.
The second bucket, she said, is more about “everyday things that, if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you’re going without.” These may be necessary goods or services, such as going to the dentist or getting the car’s oil changed regularly.
“There was a time in my life when [an] oil change was just like, not even a priority,” Allen said. “I’m trying to keep tires on my car. I’m trying to keep it running. I’m trying to keep the registration paid. I’m not concerned about an oil change.”
Living paycheck to paycheck makes people vulnerable to accumulating high-interest credit card debt. Almost half, 46%, of Americans said they held a balance on their credit card because of an emergency expense, according to a September 2022 CreditCards.com survey. Experts recommend having an emergency fund to fall back on with roughly three to six months’ worth of living expenses.
Watch the video above to learn more about why Americans are struggling to keep their money in their pockets.
How To Change Your Life By Journaling In 2024 (Ask These 3 Questions) |
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
I have been seeing patients for over 20 years and I genuinely believe that journaling is one of the most impactful behaviours you can bring into your life. It can help with focus, productivity, anxiety, depression, habit formation, decision making, relationships and so much more.
There are many different ways to journal and, of course, you have to find the method that works best for you. For me, answering some simple questions each day is a really easy and impactful way to start.
Please use these questions in your own life. You do not need to buy a journal to answer them at all, But, if you would like a beautifully designed journal that will help you turn this new behaviour into a life changing habit, please do check out 'The 3 Question Journal' that I have created.
If you ask the right questions, you get the right answers. Order your own copy of 'The 3 Question Journal here: https://bit.ly/3THfFH0
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Listen to all previous podcast episodes on https://drchatterjee.com/podcast or via these podcast platforms by searching for 'Feel Better, Live More'.
Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6NyPQfc...
